Tight By-Elections Paint Canada Blue and Orange

After yesterday's tight races in 2 federal by-elections, Calgary-Centre stayed Conservative and Victoria remained NDP. The third race, Durham, saw a strong Conservative victory. Overall, despite their losses, the Liberals and Greens can celebrate the results, which are bittersweet for the Tories and NDP. The winners may keep their turf, but it isn't stable.


The results were anticipated to be close in Calgary-Centre but after a close race between Conservative candidate Joan Crockatt and her Liberal opponent Harvey Locke, Crockatt squeezed through for a narrow victory in what has been Tory land since 1968. In other words, even though the Liberals didn't win the seat, this is their best turnout in the riding since 1968 and additionally, their best turn out in the past 6 years.

Calgary-Centre Results

Party	Candidate	Votes	Percentage
	Joan Crockatt	10,201	36.9%
	Harvey Locke	9,034	32.7%
	Chris Turner	7,090	25.6%
	Dan Meades	1,063	3.8%

However, the Liberals weren't the only force fighting for Calgary-Centre, the Green Party fielded a strong candidate in that riding who managed to finish third with a good margin but for Liberals who were aiming for that riding, Chris Turner's gains couldn't have been sour enough. Nonetheless, the Green Party gave the NDP a run for their money in Victoria, surpassing them and keeping a tight race throughout the ballot counting. In the end  while the Greens didn't pick up any ridings, their strong performance is noteworthy - especially when they have managed to take momentum away from Canada's two largest parties: the NDP and the Conservatives.

Victoria Results

Party	Candidate	Votes	Percentage
	Murray Rankin	14,519	37.2%
	Donald Galloway	13,368	34.3%
	Dale Gann	5,633	14.4%
	Paul Summerville	5,092	13.1%

The funny thing about these results is how unstable the victories actually were for the Conservatives and NDP. The results of Calgary-Centre will be historic as Crockatt is the first Conservative MP to barely hang on to the riding since 1968 - while nearly losing it to a Liberal. Meanwhile, the NDP fared poorly inthat riding, only receiving 3.8% of the vote. While the NDP may have a 2.9% edge over their Green opposition in Victoria there were points during the ballot counting that seemed like a turnover might happen.

Considering the low turnouts in all three ridings, it is worth noting that even the strongest Conservative victory of the by-election, 50.7% in Durham, is weak and unstable. The voter turnout was lowest in Calgary-Centre where Cockatt only won with 36.9% of the 29.4% of people who bothered to vote. Durham paints a similar story, Erin O'Toole won 50.7% of the 35.8% who voted and in Victoria, Murray Rankin won with only 37.2% of 43.9%. With a larger vote count in 2015 and votes falling differently, these three ridings may come back to swallow their new MPs alive - but then 2015 is a long way away.

Durham Results

Party	Candidate	Votes	Percentage
	Erin O'Toole	17,281	50.7%
	Larry O'Connor	8,947	26.3%
	Grant Humes	5,887	17.3%
	Virginia Ervin	1,386	4.1%

Overall, the NDP and Conservatives can be cautiously optimistic about their wins because with a different split and greater turnout next time, their fortunes may be very different. They may have these ridings now, but this by-election has shown that the grounds are shaky, even for the ridings that have been solid since 1968. The Liberals and Greens can celebrate quite a bit. The Liberals managed to nearly beat a Conservative in the heart of Conservative territory and the Greens had a strong turnout. If these performances reoccur in 2015, it will be interesting to see how the seats will fall - or if this will end up aiding the Conservatives and NDP like it did Joan Crockatt in Calgary-Centre.

What do you think of the results of the by-elections? Are you satisfied? Do you think the establishment (NDP and Conservatives) should see the uprising of the Greens and Liberals as a potential threat in the future? Follow us and let us know what you think: Facebook, Twitter, Google+.

Conservatives Sink Canada into Largest Debt in History

The Conservatives are stellar at economic management - enough so that they managed to bring Canada to its highest level of debt in history. Canada's debt hit $600 billion yesterday and shows yet again how competent the Conservatives are at managing Canada's economy - as if their chronic and secretive spending habits and their new round of deficits weren't bad enough.

The Canadian Taxpayers' Federation has officially made the call for the government to start spending within its means, calling this record debt a milestone for the Harper Government. To put some perspective on the size of this debt, if divided among Canadians, each person would be $17,200 in the red.

At the current rate, with increased deficits, Canada's debt is growing by $74.6 million per day or $863 per second.

CTF director Gregory Thomas said that much of the stimulus spending that was made to fix the economy in 2008 was unnecessary and is in fault for the deficits that brought Canada's debt to record levels - and to think Canada was paying it off when the Liberals were in power from 1993 to 2006.

"The economy bounced back and ... we're going to be paying those stimulus dollars 20, 30 years from now if we don't get our act together.".

Thomas pointed out that of the unnecessary funds, much of it was wasted and specifically targeted the government's ad campaigns to sell themselves - yes we are paying for that too!

"You can't sit through a football game without seeing all this propaganda about what a terrific job the government's doing," he said.

"They're borrowing money to sell Canadians on themselves."

The government inherited a debt of $481 billion and a surplus of $13 billion in 2006 and with reckless spending and terrible economic management, the Conservatives spent Canada into a deficit before the recession in 2008. Once the recession had hit Canada, the government was cornered into bringing out a stimulus plan which it, in turn, used as a propaganda machine to sell themselves as worthy economic managers. Four years later, Canada is still in deficit, deeper than initially forecast and the Government's records have been so impeccable that there is a real possibility that the House of Commons and Canadians aren't the only ones blindfolded over economic issues, but Flaherty himself as well. 

Meanwhile, on the provincial scale, debt is rising as well, unless you are in Alberta where they are stockpiling money as we speak.

Debt per Province

• Alberta: $4,337 cumulative surplus

• Saskatchewan: $3,354 debt per person

• British Columbia: $7,866 debt per person

• Manitoba: $11,603 debt per person

• P.E.I.: $11,919 debt per person (2011-2012)

• New Brunswick: $13,336 debt per person

• Nova Scotia: $14,023 debt per person

• Newfoundland: $15,225 debt per person

• Ontario: $17,621 debt per person

• Quebec: $21,432 debt per person

Flaherty acknowledged that Canada's debt won't be erased by 2021 and that further cuts would be necessary. He has ruled out tax increases and cuts to provincial transfers for the 2013 budget.

Everyone will pay the price for this record debt, and it is enough of an indication of Conservative economic management to know that their Action Plan ads were nothing but empty propaganda used solely to brainwash the masses into voting Conservative in subsequent elections - and it didn't cost the Conservative party a cent in election expenses either!

Do you still trust the Conservatives with the Canadian economy? Follow us and let us know what you think: Facebook, Twitter, Google+.

Conservatives: Don't worry, we're going deeper into deficit

Finance Minister Jim Flaherty confirmed that Canada is in deeper economic trouble than anyone was willing to tell us. They didn't want us to know how much they actually spent and they tried their best to hide the numbers, as the Auditor General pointed out last month, but as we crunch the numbers, we see that this government has spent more than any government in Canadian history.



For the second time in their mandate, after initially promising to never run a deficit, the Conservatives have announced that they have lost track of the numbers. Canada entered the recession with a deficit and now that the recession is gone, Canada is going deeper into deficit. Where, oh where, has the money gone?

In the simplest of terms, they spent and over spent. Stephen Harper once preached a model of smaller government, efficiency and reduced expenditure and that entire view went out the window once elected in 2006. The entire Canadian deficit can be attributed to a spending problem, a chronic one. Harper's government is finding it easy to spend, spend more than any government has in history, but when it comes to making the cuts that count, they are unable as they now realize it would mean dismantling all that they have built.

The costly new prisons, the costly military contracts for sub-par military equipment, the advancement of a failed war on drugs, a $55 million budget for ads, brand new bills which are unnecessary and melt easily, an unnecessarily expensive G20 summit, the cost overruns of the wars in Libya and Afghanistan, the costs of adding new senators, the cost of abuse of "entitlements", the cost in boosting the size of the PMO, the added costs to having a larger cabinet than any government in history, waste accumulating from the years (remember Bev Oda's $16 orange juice?), interest, and the list goes on. The new deficit forecast sees Canada gaining a total of $151 billion and counting in debt. The previous Liberal government worked hard to pay down Mulroney's debt and here is a rough estimate of how much new debt has been added by Harper. If this forecast remains consistent  that would mean that Canada would have a national debt of $636 billion, up from $452 billion in 2008.

Flaherty's economic plan has been changing over time, each time announcing larger deficits than previously forecast and postponing the date for a return to balanced budgets. The sad part of the economic reality is that much of the deficit has been fueled by reckless Conservative spending that could have been avoided and cut. The list of Conservative expenditures is long and only going to get longer, meanwhile, they hide behind it to justify increasing the retirement age, the new toll that will be on the new Champlain bridge, the cuts to environmental safety, the cuts to the Canada Food Inspection Agency and firing of doctors and inspectors - one of the single reasons for the major meat recall not too long ago, the changes to Employment Insurance, and a list of forced amendments in the two omnibus budget bill that don't cut expenditures but rather offload them to provinces that are already choking on what they already have to deal with.

This government isn't fiscally conservative, not even close. Its problem is one of spending and a massive overhaul of their priorities and tactics will be needed in order to resolve the deficit in the timeline they outlined. However, given how limited and how unreliable the information that is made public actually is, there is no guarantee that the deficit will be $27 billion this year rather than $21 billion and not even higher.

The PBO is poised to take this government to court for the information that should be available to all MPs and all Canadian taxpayers. The money that is put into this system is ours, and not the Conservatives' and as such they should have the respect to let us know how our finances actually are doing and take approaches to fix their mess - which was created before the world's turmoil even began - rather than make painful announcements in Switzerland.

However, given the secrecy of this government, even towards its cabinet and own MPs, any decision Flaherty makes will be blindfolded, if he even gets to make them.

Again we must ask where the money went, again we must ask if the numbers we are given are reliable, again we must ask if the Conservatives even know what they are doing. As Flaherty tried to frame his announcement with a warning to the US congress, Canadians should not be gullible enough to believe that Flaherty's management of our money depends on every decision of the United States. However, do be advised that the Conservatives will try every possible excuse in the book to appear credible while destroying Canada's fiscal picture. They did so successfully in 2008, when Canadians first learned of the deficit, and somehow forgave them. The Conservatives inherited and squandered a $13 billion surplus and somehow convinced the masses that they were the party of the economy, and here we are, four years later, and instead of getting on track to better fiscal health, Canada is back down into a deficit trend. It is no wonder they tried so hard to hide how much they actually spend.

Do you believe in the numbers the government claims are the actual figures for Canada’s fiscal state? Do you think the Conservatives have repeated the history of Mulroney’s Progressive Conservatives in leaving behind an economy that is on the brink of collapse? How big of a clean up will the next government have to make before it can restore Canada to a good economic footing? Follow us and let us know what you think: Facebook, Twitter, Google+.

Remember, Nothing says leadership like hiding the figures!

The Conservatives may have enacted austerity and they may be calling themselves good economic managers, but as we speak, they are not only spending recklessly, they are trying to hide their spending from the public and from elected MPs in the House of Commons.

Read More: Conservatives: No one is supposed to know how much we actually spend

A Chinese Takeover - Not a Private Sector Buyout

Developing Canada’s oil sands brings great promise to the Canadian economy and allows for an opportunity to emerge as a major player in the energy market. The oil that sits unrefined in Alberta opens doors to vast new trade opportunities, which each bring long term benefits. Most importantly, Canada’s oil presents an opportunity to lower fuel prices nationwide and offset some of the tax burden from middle class families to fund the services Canadians cherish. Overall, if exploited wisely by Canada’s private industries and used for the right objectives, Alberta’s oil sands present an opportunity to bring great benefits to this country… Why would you want to give that away?



Perhaps it is a stretch to say that selling Alberta’s private-owned Nexen to China’s state-owned CNNOC for $15.1 billion is a give away but one must consider the ramifications of a 31 year contract with a government overseas that is quickly growing in wealth and power, and is also actively trying to hack into our mainframes, and is notorious for previous takeovers which were quite ugly…

If one thing is clear, Alberta’s oil sector is a wise choice for economic gain, but in the hands of the Chinese government (CNOOC), not only does Canada lose control over it for the next 31 years, Canada can expect to learn how the Chinese do business the hard way. This sale would be a give away of Canada’s oil and the land that it occupies. The deal is a 31 year right of passage for the Chinese government to own a part of Canada. The deal will destroy all of the benefits this sector contained for Canada’s oil markets and for Canadian families from coast to coast to coast.

The Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement is a very one-sided agreement that gives China unrestricted powers and benefits as Canadians gain nothing. Diane Francis from the Financial Post referred to the agreement in hockey terms as one that "allows only a select few to play on Team Canada on a small patch of ice in China and to be fouled, without remedies or referees. By contrast, Team China can play anywhere on Canadian ice, can appeal referee calls it dislikes and negotiate compensation for damages while in the penalty box behind closed doors."

In other words, once China is allowed into our country, they will have more power than our companies, bypass laws and deal with legal matters in a secretive manner in courts outside the Canadian legal system. These disputes would be subject to secret arbitration where Canada gets a representative, China gets a representative and the third representative is from the World Bank. In other words  China will have a field day taking Canada to the cleaners should they dislike something or should any future government in any jurisdiction in Canada wish to legislate or repeal powers given to the Chinese government with this agreement.

This extends to Chinese purchasing power within Canada. Not only does China now have the leeway to sue the Canadian government if it interferes with the affairs of CNOOC-owned Nexen, it can bypass Industry Canada and purchase other Canadian assets without any foreign investment reviews. This means that China can sit comfortably and take over Canada part by part and every attempt to stop them will end up in a courtroom that favors the Chinese monopoly. Like with Nexen, any Canadian laws that hinder the interest of Chinese-owned assets in Canada are liable for a date at the courthouse at the place of Chinese' choosing. This would give the country, that is notorious for its record on human rights, the ability to bypass Canadian labor laws, standards, and requirements.

Article 4 of the agreement allows China to bypass any government's jurisdiction on resource and commercial management which would be deemed unconstitutional. On top of this, the deal is built off of backroom deals and secretive dealings, something uncommon with most modern-day dealings between economic powers. Usually, Canada's trading partners, notably the United States, offers reciprocal rule of law and grants market access and bases its dealings off of transparency. The Chinese, on the other hand, haven't given reciprocal rule of law, restricted their markets and is encouraging secretive and corrupt dealings.

The question is, do we want to enter a deal where we have a net loss? Let us not forget that this deal would sell Canada's oil sector for a net sum, royalties, some taxes and take Canada out of the resource sector while  Canada would gain no real room to maneuver in Chinese markets where the Chinese Communist Party has made it clear that it will protect its state-owned and private companies in its markets. For a government supposedly driven by free-market capitalism and democratic principle, it should be clear to them that this deal is not only one-sided, it is a slap in the face of every Canadian who believes in democracy and the free virtue of the markets and the free economy.

Now take this deal and apply it for 31 years, what will happen? Canada will be eaten alive by a growing economic and military power that not only plays by a different rule book, but isn't keen on caring about ours either. The Chinese are not capitalists, they are communists who have a thirst for beech heads, resource control and economic dominance worldwide. Their poor human rights standards aren't going to go away soon and they are not fond of the way we do business. It is strange that 31 years was set as a contracted termination/renewal period. Canada's largest trade deal, NAFTA, needs renewal every 6 months.

It doesn't help the matter when the Official Opposition is out to lunch on the topic while they should be offering a credible alternative that would be in favor of Canada's economy while working to stop the bid on the basis of what it actually is. When Green Leader Elizabeth May and Liberal interim leader Bob Rae were asked by Epoch Times reporter Matthew Little if China was under authoritarian rule, they both were capable of responding yes. The NDP's environment critic - the official environment critic as the NDP are the official opposition, Megan Leslie, said that she'd need to consult her political science textbooks and get briefed before she could give an answer. This says a lot about how strong this new Official Opposition is...

However, looking onto the deal that is set to bundle Canada with gift wrap and bows, to a Chinese regime that won't play fair and hasn't in the past, it is worth noting that recent cyber attacks on Canada have been orchestrated by the Chinese government. It is worth summing this deal as a give away and a deal which imprisons Canada for 31 years. It is worth saying that only a government who is fond of communists can accept this agreement as it has no benefit for Canada - instead it acts like a detriment. When Chinese officials have taken Nexen, they will make a clean up, replacing Canadian workers with minted Chinese workers and extracting information from the hierarchy to progressively replace them with Chinese officials. It will be the beginning of the end for Canada's resource-based economy and the beginning of a period of landmines and traps. The American rejection of a recent attempt at Chinese takeover of a wind farm and both US Presidential candidates' "tough on China" stances  should be enough of an indication on what our neighbors - and largest economic trading partners and allies - will think of the deal.

First marked with the shame of leaking sensitive information to Russian spies, now granting Chinese access to Canadian land and resources with an inherited monopoly won't sit well for Canada-US relations and won't sit well for the continued success of NAFTA - especially when both the Canadian population and American government are uneasy with Chinese ownership on North American soil.

Overall, this deal is a bust and Canadians across the country should raise their voices.

So in the end of the day, do you support the Chinese trade deals with Canada? Follow us and let us know what you think: Facebook, Twitter, Google+.